No. 1: Lack of a Dynamic Passing Offense

There were going to be some question marks about Buffalo’s passing offense entering 2018 anyway. It happens anytime a team makes a significant change under center, which Sean McDermott did.

McDermott’s ideal situation would have been to start a prior backup, quarterback A.J. McCarron, after picking him up from the Cincinnati Bengals. But McCarron’s preseason clavicle injury could mean he misses a sizable chunk of the preseason. Perhaps longer.

For now, that means a combination of Nathan Peterman and Josh Allen.

Peterman’s rookie 2017 season was anything but impressive. And with accuracy concerns still following the former Wyoming signal-caller, Allen, it’s not hard to see why the Bills would be a run-first, run-often offense this season.

On one side of things, a stout running game headed by LeSean McCoy should benefit Buffalo’s offensive line. Most O-lines around the league favor run blocking, where they are taking the initiative instead of reacting to opponents’ pass rushes. But the Bills weren’t exactly solid in this area last year either. According to Football Outsiders, Buffalo’s O-line ranked 27th in run-blocking efficiency. And if we grant the unit went through some serious downgrades during the offseason, hoping for improvement in this category is a stretch.

It would be one thing if the Bills had an offensive attack centered around a quarterback capable of quick releases, utilizing short, precise routes to keep defenses honest.

But Buffalo has yet to prove it can do this during the preseason. Opposing defenses know that too, meaning they’ll likely shift all their focus on McCoy and the Bills running game.

So, yes. Expect this unit to see a lot of eight-man defensive fronts this season. Few O-lines withstand those well.